October 18–27, 2019
by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen Directed by Judy Braha
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Welcome from the Dean Welcome! I am glad you are here. Theatre bolsters community. We gather to witness the telling of a story and the sharing of an experience. In a world that is increasingly disconnected, it is here, in the theatre, that we sit side-by-side and embark on a journey together. Theatre can be escapist. It can also be unflinchingly real. On the stage, we see the devastating effects of bias and prejudice; the ease with which people can overlook the humanity of others; the miscarriage of justice. And yet, in the midst of tragedy there can be hope. I am grateful to the extraordinary artist-scholars within CFA School of Theatre whose labors have culminated in this moment. I am thrilled to welcome Susan Mickey, an award-winning designer and one of the most respected voices in American theatre, as the new Director of CFA Theatre.
Harvey Young Dean, College of Fine Arts
by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen
Directed by Judy Braha Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer Technical Director Stage Manager
Meg McGuigan Chloe Moore William Brown Ryan Blaney Jerrold Zuraw Lindsey Walko
The Exonerated is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Originally produced in New York by The Culture Project, Dede Harris, Morton Swinsky, Bob Balaban, Harit Allan Buchman, Patrick Blake, David Elliot, Jane Bergere, Ruth Hendel and Cheryl Wiesenfeld. SPECIAL NOTE ON POETRY Poetry from Song Singing Songs by Delbert Tibbs. Used by permission.
CAST Delbert David Kerry Sunny Robert Gary Sandra/Sue Georgia Woman 1 Man 1 Man 2
VonDerrick Taylor Nicholas Walker Mose Kane Dayna Cousins Tramaine Bembury Michael Sultana Felicia Reuter Tatiana Chavez Tatiana Webster Julian Manjerico Derek Martinez
My Life My life Almost ruined By the machinations & manipulations By the technicians & magicians By the makers of life plans and sleight-of-hand dealers & lies. By tribulations. By GOD I am sustained. I will and am never contained By arcane conundrums. Eternity’s mine and the mind that knows and the mind that shows that I am ever and always Blessed, Blessed, Blessed. By Delbert Tibbs Exonerated after serving 3 years in prison, 2 of which were on death row
DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAMS Assistant Director/Dialect Coach Assistant Stage Manager Associate Production Manager Production Assistant Run Crew
Noah Putterman Samantha Knox Kristen Pichette Spencer Morgan Emma Foley Grace Goble Jack Williams
Assistant Scenic Designer Paint Charge Properties Master Assistant Technical Director Master Carpenter
Adam Hawkins Tim Lewis Jillian Tone Mia Moshier Kaitlyn Bradway
Assistant Costume Designer Draper First Hand Wardrobe Crew
Emma George Maria Albutra Grace Saathoff Meredith Fein John Holmes
Assistant Lighting Designer Moving Light Programmer Master Electrician Assistant Master Electrician Light Board Operator
Andrea Sala Amanda Fallon Anna Brevetti Mckenna Ebert Lire Bolden
Assistant Sound Designer Audio Engineer Assistant Audio Engineer Sound Board Operator
Angelica Alvarez Jacob Montgomery Jennie Gorn Daniel Umali
Front of House Staff
Madeleine Bedenko Ben Gatere Mya Ison Declan Schliesmann Tyler Statkevicus Michael Ticknor Isabel Van Natta
A Message from the School of Theatre Director
T
his production season we are focused on character. The ones we create on stage and the ones we build within ourselves. I can think of no better way to start that process than with a play like The Exonerated. This story focuses on the fragility of human nature and its ability to fail alongside the strength and fortitude of forgiveness and perseverance.The human stories we glimpse during this short evening beg us to examine and consult our conscience.
Sometimes it is hard to work a long day and then go out again to the theatre. We promise that when you join us here at The Joan and Edgar Booth Theatre, we will take your presence seriously and will honor the time you are taking to attend with the excellence of our work. You are joining in the effort to raise your lanterns on the next generation of artists, scholars, and thinkers to tell the stories that we think are meaningful and worth your time. Thank you for being with us for The Exonerated. Please let us know what and how this made you think after you see this play. Susan Mickey Director, School of Theatre
DIRECTOR’S NOTE The Exonerated chronicles the stories of six real-life individuals wrongfully incarcerated on death row, their fight to overturn their convictions and their great difficulties returning to their lives, sometimes many decades later. The urgency of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s compelling play persists in our current reality as wrongful convictions continue to be plentiful and many innocent people remain behind bars. Teaching for the past eight years in one of Massachusetts’ medium security prisons, I have seen firsthand the broken system, the damage done to the self-esteem of incarcerated individuals and the great need for openness, humanity, prison reform, and ending capital punishment. We in BU CFA School of Theatre believe that theatre can be a dynamic force for change. Our students are acutely aware of their role as artists to provoke this change in today’s fractured world. I have been continually inspired by the hard work and absolute creative zeal amongst our cast members. They have unpacked these exonerees’ stories, spoken truth to power, and committed wholeheartedly to meaningful dramatic work that can challenge societal norms and provoke a positive dialogue for systemic change. Throughout the process of The Exonerated, we have been excited to partner with both the New England Innocence Project and BU’s Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground to bring these stories to our community at this important time. We thank you for joining us today and sincerely hope that hearing these compelling stories will shine a new light and inspire a new path forward. Without truth, there can be no justice. Judy Braha Director, The Exonerated Judy Braha is Head of the MFA Directing program in CFA Theatre and regularly teaches as a guest artist with the BU Prison Education Program. She would like to give special thanks to Radha Natarajan, Jim Petosa, Jim Noone, Richard Fisher, Wen Epstein-Fisher, New Orleans Innocence Project, and New England Innocence Project.
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE Over the summer of 2000, we traveled across the United States, sat in people’s living rooms, and listened as they told us what it was like to be wrongfully convicted and on death row. They were from vastly different ethnic, religious, and educational backgrounds. Their views on the world varied greatly. The only thing they held in common was that they had each been sentenced to die, spent anywhere from two to 22 years on death row, had subsequently had their convictions reversed, and been freed by the state. We interviewed 40 people on the phone and 20 in person. Six of these interviews form the core of The Exonerated. That spring, we had gotten the idea for the play at a conference on the death penalty at Columbia University. […] Governor George Ryan of Illinois had just declared a moratorium on the death penalty in his state, and another George was running for high office — with more executions carried out under his watch as governor of Texas than in any other state since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. The issue was very much in the news. […] So we hit the road. We went as far north and west as Chicago, as far south as Texas and Miami and just about everywhere in between to meet the people whose stories appear in this play. […] With a few exceptions, each word spoken in this play comes from the public record — legal documents, court transcripts, letters — or from an interview with an exonerated person. The names of the exonerated people are their own; some names of auxiliary characters have been changed for legal reasons. The vast majority of the piece is as it was said two, five, ten, and 20 years ago by the actual participants. At the time we conducted these interviews, there were 89 people who had been exonerated from death row. As of this writing there are now 102. We consider every one of their stories to be part of this play. For the exonerated and for those who are still waiting - Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, 2004
Join the fight for justice with the New England Innocence Project! The Innocence Project's mission is to free the staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and to bring reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment. What is a wrongful conviction? A wrongful conviction is when an innocent person is charged with and convicted of a crime they did not commit. Wrongful convictions expose flaws in the criminal legal system. By taking steps to correct and prevent wrongful convictions and fix what is broken in the system, we help ensure justice for everyone. How common is the problem? Over 2,400 people have been exonerated since 1989 (106 in New England), but we know the problem of wrongful conviction is much larger. Over 2 million people are incarcerated in the U.S. (34,000 in New England), a 500% increase over the last 40 years, and the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Wrongful convictions in the U.S. disproportionately affect people of color, in particular black Americans.
Learn more about how to find and free the wrongfully convicted: newenglandinnocence.org
CAST Tramaine Bembury (Robert) is a Senior at BU CFA School of Theatre and is honored to share the story of Robert Earl Hayes and the other exonerees. This story in particular hits home because it could be any one of us, today, tomorrow or in the near future. So let’s continue to bring awareness to the corrupt judicial system & create a voice for others wrongly convicted. Tatiana Chavez (Georgia) is a Senior pursuing a BFA in Acting at BU. She feels very privileged to be illuminating the stories of the exonerated that you will hear tonight. She would like to encourage you to research and/or donate to The Innocence Project because this is an epidemic that needs to end now. Thank you! Dayna Cousins (Sunny) has returned to BU to pursue an MFA in Theatre Education. She’s thrilled to be back in her artistic home and grateful to be included in the telling of such a difficult story. Please follow @innocenceproject on Instagram in order to donate, make change, and stay connected.
Mose Kane (Kerry) is humbled to bring this wonderful play to life in Booth, where he last appeared as Roy Cohn in Angels in America. He’d like to deeply thank his cast, creative, and production teams, and his family for their never-ending support. He is a fourth-year Theatre Arts major. Julian Manjerico (Man 1) is a jazzed-up Junior Acting major at BU. Previous performances include Sunlight Interior, People, Places & Things, and Angels in America. “For the exonerated and for those who are still waiting.” Love you Neil. Derek Martinez (Man 2) is a Senior BFA Theatre Arts major from Connecticut. He has been seen previously on BU stages in Rhinoceros and The Wonderful World of Dissocia. Outside of theatre, he is very involved in BU’s aerial dance program. In free time, he enjoys sailing and practicing his French. Felicia Reuter (Sandra/ Sue) is grateful to share this important play! She is a Junior Acting major in CFA School of Theatre, and spent the summer working at The
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Felicia’s recent credits include: Ken Ludwig’s Three Musketeers (Elise); Cymbeline (Queen); Mr. Burns, A PostElectric Play (Lisa Simpson & Colleen). Sending love and joy! Michael Sultana (Gary) is honored to tell a piece of this significant and deeply urgent story. Michael is a Senior BFA Acting major, whose most recent productions include Antigone (Creon), Black Snow (Sergei Maxudov), and Beowulf…Baggage (King Hrothgar). He hopes that after you leave, you might seek answers to the questions the play raises by pinpointing the action you personally can take. VonDerrick M. Taylor (Delbert) is a Senior Acting major at BU, born and raised in the heart & soul of New Orleans. After graduation, he plans on moving to Atlanta to begin his professional acting career in the film industry. He is humbled and blessed to tell Delbert Tibbs’ story to the world and hopes you are moved and ready to start a conversation toward action for a better tomorrow!!!
Nicholas J. Walker (David) is a Senior Theatre Arts major in CFA School of Theatre. He is thoroughly pleased to be in this production, honoring not only the exonerated individuals in this play, but the larger community of exonerated peoples who NOW get to share their stories with all of us. It is time to wake up, realize our own privileges, and make change! Enjoy these stories. Tatiana Webster (Woman 1) is excited to be involved in such a raw and thought-provoking production. Currently a Senior Theatre Arts major, she is an actress, musician, and filmmaker from Atlanta, Georgia. Previous performances at BU include The Journey and Intimate Apparel.
ARTISTIC & DESIGN TEAM Ryan Blaney (Sound Designer) is a second-year MFA candidate in Sound Design. He received his BFA in Theatre Design at Salem State University. He is very excited to collaborate on this play and try to push the boundaries of what theatre can be sonically.
Chloe Moore (Costume Designer) is a third-year MFA candidate in Costume Design at BU. Past credits include The Lathe of Heaven and Angels in America Parts I & II. Recently she served as one of the resident costume designers for the 2019 season of the College Light Opera William Brown (Lighting Designer) Company, as well as the costume is a second-year MFA Lighting Design designer for Bazaar Production’s candidate and self-proclaimed remount of The TEAM’s Particularly taco enthusiast from Austin, TX. in the Heartland. She is grateful to Collaborating with the creative team be able to help tell these stories. has been an eye-opening experience: ChloeMooreDesigns.com to bring to life the true stories of these exonerated men and women and Lindsey Walko (Stage Manager) share the unknown reality of what is a Senior Stage Management major has happened, and still does, to many with a Performance concentration. people in prisons across the country. She spent this past summer as a stage Recent designs include (Boston management intern for Barrington University) Unmentionables, Aurora Stage Company, working on the Borealis, Horizon Line. (Hangar world premiere of America v. 2.1 and Theatre) The Phantom Tollbooth, If I Forget. Her BU credits include The Revolutionists, The War Boys, Black Snow (SM), Unmentionables Unicorn Girl. Assistant Design credits (SM), Antigone (ASM), and Our Town include (Hangar Theatre) Kinky (ASM). Lindsey is extremely grateful Boots, Or, What She Will. (Huntington to have a part in telling this story. For Theatre) Romeo and Juliet. more information about exoneration (Charlottesville Opera) Camelot. and the criminal justice system, williambrownlighting.com please visit innocenceproject.org. Meg McGuigan (Scenic Designer) is from Seattle originally, and is an MFA candidate in Scenic Design at BU. Before returning to school for her master’s she worked full time as a freelance artist and designer. Recent credits include Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Society), Koalas Are Dicks (Theatre 80/Randomly Specific Theatre), Dead Man’s Dinner (Theatre for a New City), and full seasons at B Street Theatre, Stagedoor Manor, and Spaeth Design.
Jerry Zuraw (Technical Director) is pursuing an MFA in Technical Production and an MS in Project Management at BU. He has worked for theatre companies around the country, including Triad Stage, Gulfshore Playhouse, Weston Playhouse, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and PlayMakers Reper-tory Company. He studied theatre at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 2015.
Coming soon from
CFA School of Theatre Oct 22 - Oct 27
The Europeans
“Jewels 1” Miller Studio Theatre 352 By Howard Barker Directed by Adam Kassim (CFA’05)
Oct 23 - Oct 27
Amputees
CFA Studio ONE A BU New Play Initiative production written by Quentin Nguyen-Duy (CFA’20) Directed by Sarah Shin (CFA’19)
Oct 25 - Oct 27
Femina Shakes: Measure for Measure
“Jewels 2” Miller Studio Theatre 356 By William Shakespeare Directed by Erica TerpeningRomeo
Nov 20 - Nov 24
String
Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley Musical CFA Studio ONE Book by Sarah Hammond Music & Lyrics by Adam Gwon Directed by McCaela Donovan Music Direction by Matthew Stern
Dec 6 - Dec 8
The Shakespeare Project
Copeland Black Box Studio Theatre 354 Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Mark Cohen
Dec 7 - Dec 10
The Directors’ Project
“Jewels 2” Miller Studio Theatre 356 Directed by Clay Hopper
Dec 9
Aurora Borealis 18: A Festival of Light and Dance Boston University Dance Theater Co-Artistic Directed by Yo-EL Cassell and Micki Taylor-Pinney
Dec 11 - Dec 15
…and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre By Marcus Gardley Directed by Sara Katzoff
Time Stands Still “Jewels 2” Miller Studio Theatre 356 By Donald Margulies Directed by Blair Cadden
Dec 14 - Dec 18
Clearing
Copeland Black Box Studio Theatre 354 by Elizabeth Hyland Directed by Leila Ghaemi
Dec 18
Design & Production Works in Progress Open House
Joan and Edgar Booth Theatre The School of Theatre’s annual event showcases the work of the School’s first-year BFA Design & Production majors and MFA Design & Production Master Class students.
Tickets & details at bu.edu/cfa/season
FALL 201
Dec 12 - Dec 15
Fri, Oct 25 Boston University Symphony Orchestra 8 pm Tsai Performance Center
Tue, Nov 19 Guest Artists: Splinter Reeds
Thu, Oct 31 Cappella Pratensis
Wed, Nov 20 Boston University Symphony Orchestra 8 pm Tsai Performance Center
Presented by the Center for Early Music Studies
12:30 pm Marsh Chapel
Boston University Chamber Orchestra with BU Singers 8 pm Tsai Performance Center Fri, Nov 8 Dimmock Award Recital 2019 Dimmock Award winners Caroline Bourg, soprano and Anna Carolina Pelaes, soprano perform in recital.
8pm CFA Concert Hall
Sun, Nov 17 Boston University Symphonic Chorus 8 pm CFA Concert Hall
bu.edu/cfa/events
Presented by the Center for New Music
8pm CFA Concert Hall
Thu, Nov 21 Boston University Wind Ensemble 8 pm Tsai Performance Center Sat, Nov 23 Boston University Singers 8 pm CFA Concert Hall Mon, Nov 25 Boston University Chamber Orchestra 8pm Tsai Performance Center Thu, Dec 5 Bach Competition Winners’ Concert 8pm CFA Concert Hall
Fall 2019
bu.edu/cfa/symphonyhall
Boston University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Symphonic Chorus
Boston Symphony Hall Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Under the Influence of Comics A Look Back with Paul Karasik at WBUR CitySpace Fri, Nov 8 • 6:30 pm 890 Commonwealth Ave. Paul Karasik is an internationallyrecognized cartoonist and educator whose work appears regularly in The New Yorker magazine. Tickets are limited. Register at wbur.org/events.
College of Fine Arts Harvey Young Dana Clancy Gregory Melchor-Barz Susan Mickey
Dean, College of Fine Arts Director, School of Visual Arts Director, School of Music Director, School of Theatre
School of Theatre McCaela Donovan Beth Barefoot Johnny Kontogiannis Adam Kassim Brian Dudley Olivia Dumaine Allyson Beheler Penney Pinette Todd Burgun Mac Vaughey Emily Ranii
Assistant Director Business Manager Production Manager 855 Production Manager Undergraduate Academic Advisor Administrative Coordinator, Performance Administrative Coordinator, Design & Production Costume Shop Manager Scene Shop Manager Lighting and Sound Shop Manager Academic Program Head, BUSTI
Performance Faculty Judy Braha# Yo-EL Cassell Mark Cohen Kirsten Greenidge Christine Hamel# Michael Hammond Clay Hopper Melodie Jeffery-Cassell Michael Kaye# Paula Langton
Kristin Leahey Georgia Lyman Maurice Emmanuel Parent Jim Petosa Betsy Polatin Rebecca Schneebaum Matthew Stern Micki Taylor-Pinney Elaine Vaan Hogue Ryan Winkles
Design & Production Faculty Jorge Arroyo Joel Brandwine# Diane Fargo Julie Hennrikus Nancy Leary# James McCartney Seรกghan McKay James Noone#
David Remedios# Jon Savage# Mark Stanley# Cristina Todesco Mariann Verheyen# Denise Wallace-Spriggs Renee E. Yancey#
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Program Head
Boston University College of Fine Arts
Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholarartists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in music, theatre, and visual arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, think broadly, and master essential 21st-century skills. CFA offers a wide array of precollege, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates. Learn more at bu.edu/cfa.
Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Theatre
The School of Theatre at Boston University College of Fine Arts offers conservatory-style education for the study of acting, stage management, design, production, theatre education, and all aspects of the theatre profession within the setting of a major research university. The School of Theatre provides students with opportunities for artistic growth through a rigorous curriculum, professional connections, and an emphasis on collaboration and new work.
Boston University Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre
Opened in December 2017, this bold, state-of-theart structure encourages innovation, conversation, and collaboration. The flexible design of Booth Theatre allows for the inventive evolution of performances and a deep engagement with audiences. Research is at the core of Boston University, and the College of Fine Arts practices it every day in the form of creative experimentation. Booth Theatre and the adjacent CFA Production Center are laboratories for such research, and in every detail, they are purpose-built for discovery. The Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre is funded in part by a $10 million gift from BU Trustee Stephen M. Zide (LAW’86), who named the venue in honor of his wife’s parents for sharing their passion for the dramatic arts with him and his family. Learn more at bu.edu/booth.
bu.edu/cfa
@buarts
#myCFA
bu.edu/cfa/season
December 11–15, 2019
by Marcus Gardley Directed by Sara Katzoff
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